June 21, 2016

"According to traditional Chinese medicine, some foods... have warm energy... Both dog meat and lychees are seen as warming.... In parts of China, dog meat is typically consumed in the winter because it is seen as warming and restorative. But in the southern Chinese city of Yulin, some say eating dog meat and drinking lychee liquor on the summer solstice is an old tradition... [T]he concept of 'yire gongre,' or using heat to attack heat, is also prevalent."

21 comments:

Oh boy, time for my inbox to start feeling up with change.org petitions asking me to sign something or another saying that these must be stopped. I think it's one of the pet causes for Bravo's "housewife" celebutantes. I am a dog lover, but my riposte to my friends who are aghast at whole idea: are you a vegan? If not, shut up.

I have no problem with Chinese eating dog meat. i would have no problem with them having farms where they raised dogs for meat...different strokes for different folks. many Indian people think we are just as barbaric because we eat cows.

That being said, I also have no problems with laws against raising dogs for food here in the US.....

Individuals can choose to go vegetarian and individuals can choose which animals to eat. But individuals can also try to persuade others to favor the particular animals they like. If they do, I think the strongest argument is about the animal's own sense of itself -- and not some human's love for a particular animal such as dogs or horses.

""You mean he didn't know it was little boy? He just thought it was an animal?" Yeah, like an alligator knows what a human being is. An the alligator doesn't even know that it is an alligator. An alligator has never seen itself. It doesn't know what it is! They don't have mirrors. Alligators can't lick themselves like dogs can. They don't know what they... (interruption) I know. (interruption) Well, okay, they see other. (interruption) Yeah, yeah, yeah, they may... They see other alligators. I take it back. They know what another alligator is. But that's instinct, too."

There's a farm down south of Miami that I drive to every year to buy Brewster lychees. Nearby that farm are some Amish who grow limes and also sell sticky buns roadside. That's part of my thing: buy some lychees, pick up sticky Amish buns.

My wife is a Filipina. She had dogs as pets growing up. When the dog got old, it ended up in a pot. They couldn't afford to waste that much meat. She thinks Americans are crazy for the amount of vet bills they pay for their pets. She tells me that short-haired dog tastes better than long-haired dog but doesn't know why. She also says that dog adobo is delicious. I'll take her word for it.

In parts of China, dog meat is typically consumed in the winter because it is seen as warming and restorative. But in the southern Chinese city of Yulin, some say eating dog meat and drinking lychee liquor on the summer solstice is an old tradition... [T]he concept of 'yire gongre,' or using heat to attack heat, is also prevalent."

When I read this kind of thing it makes me doubt all those studies showing Asians have higher IQs than whites. But then I read about the popularity of pig wrestling at Midwest state fairs and my faith in science is restored.

"If they do, I think the strongest argument is about the animal's own sense of itself -- and not some human's love for a particular animal such as dogs or horses."

Oh, I agree completely. I just think most people have a visceral, knee jerk reaction to the idea of consuming dog or cat meat but see no problem whatsoever consuming cows, pigs, and chickens. It's understandable since dogs and cats are domesticated animals that people keep in their homes and create emotional bonds with. But people create emotional bonds with cows, pigs, and chickens too. What rational argument is to be made that justifies pig eating while abhorring dog eating?

Great book on our mixed up relationships with animals: Some We Love Some We Hate Some We Eat. Our culture is repulsed by eating dogs because we view them as pets. Other cultures are repulsed because they see them as vermin. Others see them as a delicious meal.